19

Adeline

"Aren't we waiting for Mia?" my sister asks as we sit down at the table.

"She's still at work, we'll start without her," my father replies, placing the bowl of tomato salad on the tablecloth.

As I stood up to serve everyone, I felt a slight dizziness that forced me to stop moving for a second. The table fell silent and all eyes were on me.

"Are you all right, Adeline?" my father worries.

"Just a little dizzy, nothing serious. I just got up too fast."

"Maybe you should have taken a few days off."

He straightens up to take the salad spoons out of my hands and continues serving in my place.

"It's okay, Dad, I'm not fragile. It has absolutely nothing to do with what happened... at the campfire," I add in a lower voice.

Resigned, he sits down again and lets me continue. It's been over ten days since the incident at Tyler's party, but my father is still worried about my health. I have to admit that I panicked a little when I woke up. First because I didn't remember the end of the evening, but also because I didn't know why I was in Cameron's bed... half-naked. I think if I could have passed out to avoid hearing the details of what I had missed, I would have. I was drugged. I kissed Tyler. I ruined Tyler's night. I threw up in front of Jayden. I was rescued by Jayden. I got undressed by Jayden. In short, I think I destroyed all my chances of being attractive to him and being seen as a mature and responsible girl. I'll forever be his half-sister, the drugged one he helped vomit. I was so embarrassed when Cameron told me about my misadventures that I didn't leave my room all day. Well, except to see a doctor who made things worse. My father's panic didn't help either. I'm alive, nothing "bad" happened to me, and yet he's been hovering over me for ten days, as if I were Astrid's age. No, like I was five years younger. The worst part is that no one has mentioned this episode since. I tried to find out more about the person who drugged me, but Cameron just said that we didn't know the guy and that the problem had been taken care of. Nothing more, nothing less. And now, in addition to being in the dark, I'm banned from going out for the rest of my life. A real disaster.

"I'm really sorry," Mia announces like a whirlwind as she steps through the glass door. "I've been so busy this afternoon."

She leans over to my father and returns his kiss before going around the table to kiss everyone.

"What did I miss?" she asks, a broad smile on her face as she sits down in the empty chair.

"The start of the meal," Jayden reproaches her in a sharp tone.

She glances at her son, who can't help but stare at his mother. However, she completely ignores his comment and continues talking to my father as if nothing had happened. Even though she is doing her best to make the meal enjoyable, the atmosphere around the table is deteriorating.

"Jayden, please, can you stop pouting?" Mia finally says to her son, who hasn't said a word for several minutes.

Annoyed, he just forces a smile, the most forced one he can muster, which in turn makes Cameron laugh.

"If you want to act like an idiot, there's no need to stay here."

"Leave me alone," he adds coldly. "Just because you got off work early tonight doesn't mean we have to play the perfect family."

Surprised by her son's attitude, Mia turns to my father for support.

"Calm down, son, your mother's had a long day."

Jayden scoffs as he straightens up.

"You're defending her now?"

"She is my partner. I will always defend her."

"Yeah, right now it suits you to appear united."

Jayden sighs as he pushes back his chair and stands.

"We're not done eating," Mia adds. "Stay seated, young man."

"I'm done. And I don't want to be a part of this charade."

Then he silently leaves the table, leaving us all stunned and terribly embarrassed by the turn of events. Mia looks at the spot where her son just disappeared, a pained look in her eyes.

"Anyone want more salad?"

My father picks up the salad bowl from the middle of the table, a broad smile on his face that seems anything but genuine, and invites us to continue eating as if nothing had happened.

"Just another meal in the Lewis/White household..."

***

I'm lying on the beach enjoying the sun rays with my friends. Holly and I got home from work pretty late last night, and we didn't have the energy to do much today. So our plan is simple: we're going to bask in the sun.

"You still haven't talked to Tyler?" Holly asks me as she puts on her sunglasses.

"No, I'm not sure it's a conversation to have over text," I answer, turning on my towel.

"You really don't remember anything?" Esther adds. "It must be so frustrating."

"What is frustrating is the idea that I was drugged," I say.

"Do you think you wouldn't have kissed Tyler if you weren't?"

"No. I told him I didn't want anything to do with him, and then... because of all this, I did the exact opposite."

"It's not your fault," Holly defends me. "He understood that you weren't in the right frame of mind."

"I know, but he deserves an apology for what happened."

I sigh and lie back on my towel, feeling a knot in my stomach. I try to calm the pounding of my heart. I'm ashamed of something I can't remember and I can't even imagine how Tyler must feel. He must be lost.

Just as I start to drift off, soothed by the sound of the waves, I hear Holly sighing to my left.

"Do you want to do something this afternoon?"

"If you have an idea, tell me," Esther replies sleepily.

"Isn't it your cousin who has a jet ski stand nearby?" Holly asks.

"Marlon, yes, about thirty minutes from here. Why?"

I hear some movement and open my eyes to see Holly already standing, ready to leave the beach.

"Let's go jet skiing!" she exclaims euphorically.

"Wait a minute," Esther interrupts, laughing. "Don't you want me to ask him if he has availability?"

"Call him while we pack our things."

Amused by her enthusiasm, we don't object and start packing our things. Feeling a little queasy from the sun, I take my time gathering everything while Esther taps away on her phone.

"He has four Jet Skis available in an hour."

"Great! Let's drop our stuff off at your place, Adeline, and go."

We make our way back to the house, and as we pass through the garden gate, we are confronted with the most... confusing sight of the day. Jayden is standing with his back to us, completely shirtless, wiping his neck with a towel as beads of sweat slide down his skin. A jump rope lies on the floor, and I can easily imagine him using it here, in the full sun, his muscles defined and his body glistening. A cliché? Absolutely. But damn it, I'd trade my sister to see him do this every day until the end of time. Summer or winter.

Well, my sister... that's an exaggeration.

Nevertheless, we stand there in awe, Jayden oblivious to our presence behind him for a single second.

"Do you need a magnifying glass?" Cameron interrupts our awe.

We all start and turn in surprise to see Cameron, whose mischievous smile confirms that he has been watching us for too long for us to come up with a plausible excuse. Two bottles in hand, he approaches his brother, who barely glances at us. To say I'm embarrassed would be an understatement. My cheeks are so hot that I'm about to stick my head in the fridge.

Stay calm, Adeline.

"There's not much to see, really," I reply without backing down.

Jayden pauses for a moment, the bottle hovering just two inches from his mouth, and he silently locks eyes with me. He simply brings the bottle to his lips and takes long, slow sips, his Adam's apple moving as the bottle empties. He keeps his eyes on mine, and I'm the first to look away, ready to run into the kitchen and dive headfirst into the freezer because I feel like I'm burning up in the sun.

Why do I feel so hot?

"We're going jet skiing. Do you want to come?" Holly suggests.

As if we hadn't just been caught red-handed ogling Jayden like kids in front of a candy store, Holly completely ignores the situation and addresses only her brother.

"Tyler's coming over later. Can he come too?"

The girls give me a quick glance to see if the idea bothers me, but I nod in agreement.

"Great. But is it okay if we're an odd number? Garret's at his sister's this weekend," he asks.

"Otherwise, Jayden, you can come," Esther suggests with a big smile on her face.

Excuse me? In addition to the ex I kissed at a party the other night, I now have to deal with the guy I fantasize about who saw me and made me puke my guts out? I look at Esther intently, trying to see if she's joking, but her eyes never leave my half-brother, who grabs a shirt to cover his chest.

That's right, cover up!

"Why not. Now?" he says.

No, next week.

He looks at me as if he heard me perfectly, and I run an irritated hand through my hair. This whole situation is getting out of hand. Jayden wants to spend time with us? That's never going to happen.

"If you have other plans, we don't want to force you," Holly says before Esther can add anything.

"Yeah, you probably have tons of other things to do..."

"No, it's fine. I'll put on a bathing suit," Jayden interrupts.

"All right then, I'll meet you there!" Esther exclaims. "I'll text you the address."

To reinforce her words, she drags us to her car parked in front of the house.

Great. Thanks to Esther and her brilliant ideas. Jet skis, seriously? I'm sure it will be terrible.